Machiavelli stated explicitly that his views in The Prince apply only to principalities and not republics, which he dealt with separately in other writings. Yet most readers today, if they are familiar at all with his views, know only The Prince, and sometimes only a caricatured version of the ideas expressed in it. In my view, politicians today who seem to act in accordance with "Machiavellian" principles are doing so not so much because they've been influenced by him, but simply because under the circumstances it's natural to conduct their careers as they do. If anything, this proves the validity of Machiavelli's analysis. Machiavelli was not so much endorsing a particular approach a political leader should take as he was describing the techniques he had observed, from his reading of both ancient and modern history, that successful rulers had employed to gain and hold power.
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we can focus on a single point that is one of the best known inThe Prince. Machiavelli states that it is to a leader's advantage to publicly defend those ideas or beliefs that appeal to the people, especially religion and faith, but to act in ways contrary to those beliefs if it is to his advantage to do so. Without naming names, we can see this principle in action today and in recent U.S. history. For instance, It seems obligatory for every president to end his speeches by saying, "God bless America." One might ask, of course, if either the personal lives of some of these men (again, leaving them unnamed) correspond to their professed religious beliefs, or if their public conduct and the way they conduct their administrations have been based on religious principles. It's an interesting question to say the least.
The political realm is one in which Machiavellian theory is shown to have some of its greatest impact on society today. Political leaders are Machiavellian creatures. They examine how their decisions and actions will be perceived by the public. The use of focus testing, political advisers, polling data, and public relations experts helps to confirm this. From a political standpoint, Machiavellian theory is concerned with the perception of the ruler. Even if one puts aside all else, the basic notion of Machiavellian theory and ethics is to calculate how one's actions will be perceived. The ability to harness positive perceptions as adding to one's larger narrative is of vital importance to the political ruler. Machiavellian theory is evident in this aspect of self. Modern political machinery does not operate without examining how the ruler's actions will be perceived.
At the same time, the will to do something ensuring political leadership is not interrupted is another part of Machiavellian theory. Machiavelli makes it clear that political will consists of doing something that one might not like to do. Yet, in being essential for political survival and political success, one must do what has to be done. The modern political setting is one where this tale of survival is repeated often. For the modern political setting, Machiavellian notions of survival are evident. In these ways, one can see how the presence of Machiavellian theory is a part of the modern political landscape.